Like Grandmother, like Granddaughter
by rufusforever
Summary: While not general knowledge outside of the Possible and Stoppable families, Kim very nearly didn’t become a “Cheerleader by Day”.
1. Chapter 1

As with every chapter to follow, Kim Possible and all related characters (other than those of my own creation for the purpose of this story) are the property of The Walt Disney Company. Everything else is all mine.

* * *

Early in the spring before Kim was set to move from Middleton Junior High over to the High School, a major scandal rocked the Varsity Cheerleading Squad. The town newspaper broke the story that the squad's co-captain, who abruptly left school soon after the beginning of Fall Semester, had indeed, as was rumored, been pregnant. However, the father was not --- as been rumored --- the football team's star running back. Paternity tests revealed that the father was actually the well-respected, dashingly-handsome and very-married assistant head coach of the varsity football team. He initially and vehemently denied involvement, but within days was clearing out his office and seeking gainful employment elsewhere. 

The evening the news hit the paper and local broadcast news, James, Kim's father, who wasn't all that keen about her joining the cheerleading squad in the first place, went ballistic. There was simply _no way_ his daughter would have anything to do with the Middleton High School cheerleading squad, and, given some of the other "nonsense" --- as he put it --- that took place at the High School, he thought that maybe his "Kimmie-cub" might be better served attending a private all-girls academy in Upperton.

The shouting match that followed between father and daughter was of epic proportions, and afterward Kim fled in tears from the house to the sanctuary of her and Ron's tree house. Meanwhile, James stormed into his home office and slammed the door so hard several family pictures were knocked off of their wall mounts onto the floor.

Kathleen Possible, who had tried in vain to calm down her husband and daughter before the situation got out of hand, collapsed on the family room couch, her own nerves frayed, unsure of what if anything she could do.

James was right: there _was_ a lot of "nonsense" going on at the High School, more than even _he_ believed. She saw the results of it up-close-and-personal every day while working at the hospital. Was it, as he constantly claimed, far worse than when they had been in school? The government statistics comparing the '80s with the present seemed to bear out that conclusion, but she knew statistics only told part of the story.

Cheerleaders got pregnant where Kathleen went to high school, too. Even though the school administration and parents involved tried to keep it under wraps, everyone knew what was going on. Other girls got pregnant, too. The 1980s may have been more politically conservative, but the "anything goes" personal morality of the '60s and '70s was still very much prevalent. She should know. She got caught up in it early in college and very nearly derailed a promising medical career because of it. This was a period of her life that only James knew completely about, and it was his willingness to unconditionally love, accept and forgive her that confirmed to her that he was the man she wanted to marry and spend the rest of her life with.

As much as Kathleen yearned to share this part of her life with Kim, it was one topic that she never felt comfortable discussing with her. Now, when the situation seemed to almost demand it, she held back. Why was she hesitating? Maybe she wasn't ready to open her heart with her daughter about this just yet. If not _now_, though, _when_?

Picking up the cordless phone Kim had slammed to the carpet during the argument, Kathleen dialed her best friend's number.

"Hello, Stoppables."

"Rachel? This is Kate."

"Kate? You sound pretty stressed. Is anything _wrong_?"

"Rachel, _that's_ an _understatement_. Have you heard about the scandal over at the High School?"

"Who _hasn't_ heard? It's not only the headline story in the paper, but it's the top story on the t-v and radio news. You'd think with all the problems in the world they could find something more _important_ to cover."

"Well, we're _all_ to blame for that. As an old college girlfriend of mine, who's now working for one of the networks, used to tell me, "Scandal _sells_. It has since Adam and Eve's days and probably always _will_." Anyway, the reason I'm calling is Jim and Kim had a _major_ argument tonight after he heard about it. He's now absolutely dead-set against her joining the cheerleading squad, and is even thinking about sending her to an all-girls school."

"And Kim, being her father's daughter, didn't exactly take that very well, _correct_?"

"You got it. Right now she's balling her eyes out up in the tree house, and, from the sound of things, Jim is taking out his frustrations in his office sharpening a new box of drafting pencils. Thankfully, the twins are off playing soccer and not within earshot."

"Jim _can_ use some colorful language at times."

"V-e-r-y colorful, I'm afraid."

"So, how can _I_ help, Kate?"

"Bless you, Rachel! I don't even have to _ask_, do I? Well, could you send over that wonderful son of yours so he can take Kimmie's mind off her troubles for awhile?"

"Consider it done. You know, it sure would be nice if those two had some gadget that would allow them to communicate with each other. You know, like a cell phone or a beeper?"

"Well, Kim has asked for a cell phone, but they're just too _expensive_. Maybe we'll get her one when the prices come down."

"Let me know when you decide to get Kim one, and I'll talk with Jonathan about getting one for Ron."

"Will do. Thanks, Rachel."

Kathleen hung up the phone, took a deep breath and then pressed another speed-dial button. This wasn't a call she relished making, but it needed to be made nevertheless. Four rings later, the receiver was picked up at the other end.

"H-e-l-l-o?"

"Nana? This is Kate… I mean, this is Kathleen, James' wife."

"Kathleen? How _are_ you, dear?"

"Well, Nana, I've been better."

"And my son? How is _he_? I haven't heard from him for awhile, you know."

"Oh, he's fine, or at least he _was_ up until about an _hour_ ago. He's been very busy at the Space Center preparing a new satellite for its launch this summer."

"That's nice, dear."

"Nana, the reason I'm calling is I need your help."

"Isn't that _usually_ why you call, my dear?"

"Yes, Nana, it _is_." Kathleen's face was beet-red as she admitted this, not only because it was true but because her mother-in-law wasn't exactly shy about reminding her that it was.

"So, dear, what is it _this_ time?"

"James and Kim had a nasty argument earlier, and now he's locked himself into his office and is fuming." Kathleen walked over to the office and held up the phone next to the door so Nana Possible could hear the sounds within.

"O-h-h, m-m-y-y-y. It _does_ sound like James is rather angry, _doesn't_ it?" commented Nana.

"Oh, he's _angry_ alright", agreed Kathleen.

"You know, my dear, I used to wash James' mouth out with soap whenever he used words like that."

"Yes, Nana, I remember you saying that. Unfortunately, he's a little old for that now."

"So, dear, what would you like for me to do?"

"Could you please talk with him and try to calm him down? This is one of those times when I think he'll only listen to you. He certainly hasn't listened to me so far."

Kathleen desperately hoped Nana would be willing to help, and, thankfully, she was.

"Of course, dear, I'd be happy to. Just hand James the phone and I'll see what I can do."

Kathleen pressed the "Mute" button and knocked on the office door.

"_What_… ", came a gruff reply from inside.

"Jim, your _mother's_ on the phone."

The door's lock "popped", the knob turned, and slowly the door opened a crack.

"Kate, you didn't call my mother _again_, did you?"

"Yes, Jim, I _did_. You _know_ I can't handle you when you get in one of these moods."

Kathleen handed the phone to James, who roughly grabbed it and closed the office door.

"Hello? Mom? Yes, this is James. Yes, I _know_ I haven't called you for awhile. Things have been rather crazy at work lately… "

As James' voice faded, Kathleen deeply sighed, turned and walked down the hallway toward the kitchen. Now that those two hot spots had been taken care of for now, she had a mess to clean up from dinner and then the twins would need to be picked up after soccer.

"I sure hope this whole cheerleading thing settles down quickly", she thought. Little did she realize just how wrong she was.


	2. Chapter 2

As with every chapter to follow, Kim Possible and all related characters (other than those of my own creation for the purpose of this story) are the property of The Walt Disney Company. Everything else is all mine.

* * *

The tree house in the Possible backyard where Kim had sought refuge was in fact _not_ the family's first. One was already on the property when James bought the place while Kathleen was pregnant with Jim and Tim. The previous owners assured James that the existing tree house, while admittedly not much to look at, was rock-solid and had served their kids well for nearly ten years. James took them at their word, and very nearly rued the day he did. 

Not long after moving into their new home, Kathleen was under strict bed rest orders from her doctor after overexerting herself trying to make things "livable". James yearned to be home with her and Kim, but, as usual, was under tremendous pressure to stay on schedule for a new space probe launch, requiring him to spend long hours at the Center.

Kathleen was taking a much-needed nap after first reading little Kimmie to sleep with one of her daughter's favorites, which also just happened to be one of Kathleen and James' favorites, as it was a sure-fire way to get Kim's eyelids to become heavy and soon be cuddled up fast asleep beside "Mommy" or "Daddy": Dr. Seuss's Sleep Book.

While her mother slept soundly, Kim woke up after about thirty minutes and wandered outside to play in the tree house. Her father had strongly cautioned her against being up there unsupervised…

"Now, Kimmie-cub, I _know_ how much you enjoy playing up in the tree house, but your mother and I _really_ don't want you up there _unless_ one of us is _right nearby_, just in case."

On the other hand, she had been up there several times, and had not experienced any scares so far…

"I _know_ Daddy said not to go up there all by myself, but I'm a _big_ girl now, and I'll be just fine."

And so, up she climbed.

At first, Kim kept herself busy playing with one of her mother's old dolls that was left up there in a toy box. When she got bored with that, she pulled out a coloring book and some crayons and did a few pages. One by one, she went through her usual playtime activities until at last the toy box was empty of all but her jump rope.

Normally, doing jump rope in a tree house is difficult at best, but because the tree house had been designed by the previous owners to allow for some space for growth for their boys, it offered Kim just enough room to skip rope.

Kim started with some very light skips, but as she warmed up her skips became faster, her jumps higher and her landings harder. Had she been paying attention, she would have noticed the tree house quivering and the spot where she landed beginning to sag more and more with each landing. Unfortunately, none of that caught her attention. What _did_ catch her attention was a loud "C-R-A-A-C-K" just before the floorboards gave way beneath her.

With a scream, down she went. Miraculously, one end of the jump rope somehow managed to snag between the broken floorboards of the tree house. Even more astounding, the other had lassoed around her left leg, just above the ankle.

Stunned at first and scratched and bleeding from scraping against the broken tree house timbers, it took a few moments for Kim to realize what had happened. Once she did, she began to yell as loud as she could.

"Mommy!!! Anybody!!! Help!!!"

Fortunately for Kim, the windows of the Master Bedroom of the Possible home faced the back yard, and her mother had opened one several inches before their nap to allow in some fresh air.

Kathleen Possible stirred when she heard the "C-R-A-A-C-K", but it wasn't until she heard Kim's yell moments later that Kathleen became wide awake, notice that her daughter was not in bed beside her and sense that something was very, very wrong.

Moving as quickly as her pregnant condition would allow, Kathleen slid out of bed and made her way over to the window. It took only one glance out for her to assess the situation.

"_Oh my god_! Kim!!! Hold on! Mommy's coming!"

Snatching the cordless phone off the nightstand, Kathleen pressed the speed-dial for James' office. He picked up after two rings.

"James Possible."

"Jim, this is Kate!"

"Kate! What's wrong?"

"I don't know! Kim's hanging upside down from a rope from the tree house! I woke up when I heard her yell."

"Call 9-1-1. I'm on my way!"

Kathleen hung up and punched "9-1-1".

"Middleton 9-1-1. How may I direct your call?"

"This is Kathleen Possible…"

* * *

Meanwhile, James Possible did a Ctrl Alt Del and pressed Enter to lock his computer, grabbed his coat and bolted from the Center. 

Racing down the Space Center hallway, he brushed past several coworkers, causing books and file folders to go flying in all directions, coffee cups and soda cans to douse their intended drinkers and more than one Center staff member to yell after James in jest or anger "Where's the fire?"

"Sorry! Big emergency at home! I'll explain later!" was the response he kept repeating over his shoulder as he made his way to the parking lot and his car.

Exploding out the Center entrance doors, James bounded down the stairs and zigzagged his way through his associates' vehicles. Fumbling for his keys, he pressed his lock control, climbed in, cranked the ignition and backed up so hastily he missed by a split-second of having his small compact being crunched by a coworker's full-sized SUV.

* * *

Hanging up her 9-1-1 call, Kathleen slipped on her shoes and hurried out to the backyard. Even though it took only about two minutes, it seemed forever before she finally managed to reach the tree house. 

"Kim! Are you _okay_? Are you _hurt_ anywhere?"

"Mommy, I'm _scared_!"

"I _know_, Kimmie, but I'm here and help's on the way!"

"Mommy, I'm _scared_!"

"I'm scared, _too_, Kimmie. Just try not to move, okay?"

"Okay…"

Kathleen _was_ scared. Even from a distance, she could see just how precarious the situation was, with the rope barely snagged at the top and loosely looped around her daughter's ankle at the bottom. She hoped that _somehow_ neither end would give way before help had arrived.

Until then, all she could do was comfort and encourage Kim.

* * *

After his near collision with the SUV, James flew out of the Center parking lot and down the four lane city road toward home. He could see his car's speedometer steadily rise to the speed limit and then well beyond it, but, frankly, he did not care. Normally he obeyed speed limits almost to a fault, but right now his "Kimmie-cub" was in danger, so speed limits be damned. 

Just as that thought passed through James' mind, he blew by Bueno Nacho, where Middleton Police Officer Hobble was about to pick up his late afternoon snack at the drive-thru window.

"Well, what do we have _here_?" Officer Hobble said to himself. Quickly accepting his order and setting the bag on the seat beside him, he placed a call to Dispatch, activated the police car's lights and siren, gunned the gas and roared out onto the street in pursuit.

As preoccupied as he was in getting home ASAP, James could not ignore the lights and siren as the police car rapidly gained on him and signaled for him to pull over. He did not want to, but he complied.

James rolled down his window as he saw the police officer in his side view mirror exit his police cruiser and approach on foot.

"Officer, I _know_ I was speeding, but there's an _emergency_ at home and I need to get there _right away_."

"Uh-huh", responded Officer Hobble matter-of-factly. "May I see your driver's license and vehicle registration?"

James dug out his wallet, removed his driver's license and handed it to the police officer, then reached up, pulled down the passenger-side visor, slipped out the vehicle registration and offered it to Officer Hobble.

"James Timothy Possible, Ph.D., is it?" asked the officer. "Well, Dr. Possible, do you have _any_ idea just how _fast_ you were going?"

"No, Officer, I'm afraid I don't", James sheepishly replied. "Fifty?"

"Try s-e-v-e-n-t-y; in a _thirty-five mile per hour zone_. Would you please step out of your car?"

"Officer, I wasn't _joking_. I _really_ need to get home for an _emergency_."

"_Yes_, Dr. Possible, I _heard_ what you said. Please step out of the car."

"But O-f-f-i-c-e-r…"

"Dr. Possible, step _out_ of the _car_!"

With a sigh of resignation, James lifted the door handle and exited the vehicle.

"Now, please step away from the car."

As James did so, he could clearly make out the dispatcher's voice requesting that units respond to an emergency at a certain address: _his_ address.

"Officer! That dispatch call just now is to respond to my daughter, who is caught in a tree in my backyard and is hanging on for dear life. I have got to _go_!"

"Uh-huh. A _likely_ story", was Officer Hobble's reply.

James tried to push past, but the police officer blocked his path.

"_Look_, Dr. Possible. You're already in _enough_ trouble. Don't make it any _worse_."

Now desperate, James refused to be delayed any longer.

"Officer, I _really_ hate to _do_ this, and I'm _sure_ I'll _regret_ it later, b-u-u-t-t…"

Turning sideways, James sent a kick to Officer Hobble's ample midsection that bowed him over, and then followed with a left hook to his chin, leaving the police officer sprawled out on the pavement.

While James worked his way around the prone body of the policeman, Officer Hobble cursed, swearing he would personally lock James up and throw away the key.

"I hated to do that, but you left me _no choice_", James once again apologized. "You can do whatever you want with me _later_, but _right now_ I've got a _daughter_ to rescue."

Jumping into his car, James burned rubber as he drove off.

Office Hobble struggled to his feet, rubbing his chin. "For a _skinny_ guy, he sure packs a _wallop_", he muttered in grudging admiration. Still rubbing his chin, the police officer climbed back into his cruiser and, with sirens blaring and lights flashing, once again roared down the road in pursuit.


	3. Chapter 3

As with every chapter before and to follow, Kim Possible and all related characters (other than those of my own creation for the purpose of this story) are the property of The Walt Disney Company. Everything else is all mine.

* * *

Middleton Fire and Rescue was already on the scene at the Possible home. Quickly accessing the situation, Squad Captain Norton had ordered for a rescue cushion to be inflated directly below Kim, in case the rope on which she was suspended failed. Then he tried to explain to Kathleen how he hoped to rescue her daughter. 

"Mrs. Possible, the tree house is too high off the ground for us to try and place a ladder underneath her and I'm afraid that if she broke through the floor then it's not safe to try and have anyone else climb up there to pull her back up. Here's what I'm planning to do: we'll back the ladder truck close enough to the tree house so we can raise the basket up beside your daughter and then bring her inside. Until the basket is in position, the cushion is there to catch her if the rope lets loose. While we're working, I'd advise you stay on your patio. Here's a bullhorn, so you can talk with your daughter."

"Thanks, Captain. I know you're doing all you can. I'll keep out of the way."

Calling up to Kim, Kathleen did what she could to assure her daughter.

"Kimmie, the firemen are here to get you down. Just try to stay still, okay?"

"Okay, Mommy. Is Daddy coming home?"

"Yes, Kim. Daddy's on his way."

* * *

Looking in his rear view mirror, James could see Officer Hobble back on his tail. "Great", he thought. "I'm not only going to be ticketed for speeding, but charged with assaulting a police officer. They're _really_ going to throw the book at me _now_. Nice _going_, Possible." 

Rubbing the knuckles on his left hand, he couldn't help but smile and chuckle at the fact he managed to lay out the officer with one punch. "Didn't know I still had it _in_ me. Mom's sure going to laugh, too. That is, after she reads me the Riot Act for attacking a policeman."

Soon another Middleton Police cruiser appeared to have joined the chase. James shook his head.

"_Unbelievable_. This is turning into a scene straight out of "Smokey and the Bandit"."

Only James' little compact wasn't exactly Burt's Trans Am. The police cruisers were gaining fast, and he already had his accelerator pressed to the floor. Office Hobble finally pulled up beside James and motioned for him to roll down his window. James figured that he was about to be busted.

"Dr. Possible!" the police officer hollered. "I've confirmed your story with the Center and Dispatch! Keep heading home! We'll escort you!"

With a smile and a wave, Officer Hobble drove on ahead, while the other police cruiser fell in line behind.

* * *

Ever so carefully, the ladder truck was maneuvered around to the rear of the Possible home and then up to the tree house. It had been an exceptionally dry summer in Middleton, so the ground was hard, and any vibrations caused by the truck would likely ripple to the base of the tree, up the trunk and could cause the rope to work free from the tree house floorboards. 

The rescue cushion was in place below Kim, but Captain Norton considered it a last resort and wanted to avoid relying upon it at all costs. There was too great a risk that should Kim fall on it she might land awkwardly and break an arm or leg or --- and he cringed at the very thought --- land on her head and injure her neck or spine.

It was something of a Catch-22 situation, and the Captain knew it. If he ordered the ladder truck to move too quickly, the vibrations could cause the rope to let loose. If he were overly cautious and moved the truck into position too slow, gravity, Kim's own weight and any number of other factors could result in the rope letting go.

Kathleen also sensed the "anyway you look at it, you lose" plight of the Fire and Rescue Squad, but she knew something they didn't: her daughter had already shown herself to be something of a budding gymnast, and what Kim had learned at her "Y" classes just might prove crucial to her safety.

Picking up the bullhorn, Kathleen called out more encouragement to Kim, along with some instructions.

"Kimmie, you're doing great! Just stay relaxed and try not to move."

"Mommy, my leg's hurting!"

The end of the rope that had somehow lassoed around Kim's ankle was slowly tightening. It was no longer in danger of letting loose, but now it was acting like a tourniquet, cutting off circulation to Kim's ankle and foot.

"My head's hurting, too."

Kathleen too was hurting. Her heart ached for her daughter and what she was going through. She could also feel a dull but growing pain in her abdomen. She did what she could to ignore both.

"The firemen are trying to get you down as fast as they can. Kimmie, remember all those somersaults you've done at the "Y"?"

"Uh-huh."

"Well, I want you to keep thinking about them while you're waiting. Think about the ones you've done off of the balance beam and the rings. Remember how Miss Johnson wants you to tuck yourself into a ball when you jump from the beam or let go of the rings. Remember that?"

"Uh-huh."

"Good. Now, if that rope lets loose, tuck yourself into a ball, just like in the gym at the "Y". It'll be just like jumping off the beam. Okay?"

"Okay…"

That last response didn't sound too reassuring, but Kathleen had seen her daughter's confidence grow rapidly during her "Y" gymnastics classes. Kim could _do_ this, she _knew_ she could; but hopefully, thought Kathleen as she watched the fire truck creep closer to the tree house, she wouldn't have to.

* * *

James' escort squealed around the turn into his housing development. Other cars hurriedly pulled over to give them a clear path, while neighborhood children playing in driveways and yards halted their games and pointed. 

The closer they got to his home, the more anxious James became. Not only was he fearful for his daughter's safety, but he was also concerned that the stress might cause Kathleen to prematurely go into labor and perhaps have a miscarriage.

Reaching the Possible home, Office Hobble and the officer trailing James parked their cruisers on the street, while James drove up the driveway, screeched to a halt, hopped out and made a bee line for the tree house. The two Middleton Police officers jumped out, broke into runs and also headed for the back yard.

Seeing James and the police officers approach, Kim called out.

"Daddy!"

James did his best to greet his daughter with a smile.

"Kimmie! Yes, I'm here! These two officers were kind enough to give me a police escort home!" he said, flashing a knowing wink at Officer Hobble.

Captain Norton waved them over so he could fill them in.

"Dr. Possible, you daughter is hanging too far away from the tree trunk for us to grab her from a ladder, and we're afraid that if we send someone up in the tree house, the floor might completely give way. We've placed the rescue cushion underneath in case the rope lets loose from the floorboards. The other end of the rope is no longer in danger of letting go, but that's because it's tightened and is cutting of circulation to her ankle and foot."

"We're moving the ladder truck into place so the basket comes up beside the tree house, then we can grab her and bring her into the basket. We've had to be back the truck very slowly, as any vibrations could shake the rope loose."

"Captain, I know you're doing all you can. Is there anything I can do to help?"

"For now, the best thing you can do is go over and comfort your wife. She's seemed to stay calm so far, but given her condition…"

James nodded. "Yes, I'm very concerned, too."

"Daddy?" Kim called out again.

"Yes, Kim?"

"I'm _scared_!"

"I'm scared, too, Kimmie, but the firemen will have you down from there in a jiffy, okay?"

"Okay…"

Briskly walking over to the patio, James embraced his wife.

"Thanks for getting here so quickly", said Kathleen.

"You know I'd do _anything_ for our "Kimmie-cub". How are _you_ feeling?"

"Oh, I'm okay, I think," replied his wife. "I'm feeling some pain below my uterus, but it's no different than what I felt last week before the doctor sent me to bed."

"Maybe you should lie down, Kate. No reason to take any chances."

"Jim, I'm fine. I wouldn't feel any less stressed lying down, anyway, not until Kim's out of danger."

Meanwhile, Officer Hobble and his fellow police officer were being kept busy doing crowd control, as a number of onlookers had gathered, most of whom had followed James and his police escort through the streets of the development. A call to Dispatch had been made for additional officers, who were expected to be on the scene shortly.

The fire truck was nearly in position when, without warning, the ground under its left rear tires gave way, causing that corner of the truck to sink nearly two feet. The fireman at the controls tried to back the truck out of the hole, but it only spun the wheels. A second attempt produced the same results.

On the third try, the truck wheels appeared to grip for a moment, climbing about half way out of the hole, only to spin once again. When the fireman let up on the gas, the truck wheels dropped back into the hole with a loud "Thud!" that shook the entire back yard.

Someone in the crowd cried out.

"The rope's letting loose!"

There were screams and yells from the crowd.

James and Kathleen, whose attention had been drawn away from Kim by the truck's stuck wheels, immediately shifted their gaze to their daughter, looks of dismay upon both of their faces.

Kim screamed, too, at first, but then her reflexes and her mother's advice all kicked in at once. She tucked herself into a ball, using the force of the fall to roll into a somersault.

The screams, yells and looks of horror instantly gave way to gasps and expressions of amazement, for not only did Kim tuck and roll into _one_ somersault, she somehow managed to roll through _three_ somersaults, landing squarely on her feet in the middle of the rescue cushion, arms outstretched, her body in perfect balance.

After a moment of stunned silence, the crowd of onlookers, as well as the firemen and police officers, broke into spontaneous applause. James and Kathleen clapped for joy as they hustled over to the rescue cushion.

Kim just stood there, face flushed, eyes wide, with a mixed expression of "I did it!" self-satisfaction combined with "Did I actually do that?" bewilderment.

As James came alongside the rescue cushion, he vaulted into the air and scrambled toward his daughter. Kim saw her father coming and made her way toward him. They met somewhere in between, where James snatched her up into his arms and hugged her tightly. Ear-to-ear smiles of relief were on both of their faces. Then he perched her on his hip and carried her to the cushion's edge, where they met Kathleen and joined in a family embrace.

"Did you see me? Did you see what I did?" Kim chirped.

"We saw it, Kimmie!" acknowledge her father. "You were t-e-r-r-i-f-i-c!"

"I can't _wait_ to tell Miss Johnson!" exclaimed Kim.

Not wanting to disturb them, Captain Norton stood a little ways off. Once the family had broken their embrace, he stepped forward.

"Excuse me, but I think we should have a look at Kim's leg, and it looks like she might have a few cuts and scrapes from when she fell through the floor", he gestured over to the EMT truck that had pulled in behind the ladder truck. "I think it would be a good idea to her checked over before we head back."

"You're right, Captain", replied Kathleen. "O-h-h-h…" she groaned, suddenly clutching her side.

"Kate, what's wrong?" asked James worriedly.

"Just felt a sharp one", Kathleen replied.

"Let's get you inside. Captain, could you please take Kim over to the EMT truck?"

"Gladly, Doctor."

James handed Kim over to the Squad Captain, who turned and walked toward the truck. Meanwhile, James placed his arm around his wife and slowly the two made their way back inside the house.

* * *

A thorough examination by the EMT personnel determined that, aside the small cuts and scrapes and a rope burn above her ankle, Kim appeared to be remarkably fine after her ordeal. James found her chatting away with Captain Norton and the other firemen when he returned from the house. 

"So, how's my "Kimmie-cub" doing?" he asked.

"Your daughter's one amazing little girl", replied the Captain.

"She sure _is_, Captain Norton", James agreed. "Takes after my mom, I think."

"How's Mrs. Possible?"

"She's resting right now. The pain seems to have stopped. I called her doctor. He doesn't think the baby's in any danger, but he gave her strict orders to stay in bed."

"So", James turned his attention to Kim. "Looks like pizza tonight, Kimmie. You want to call it in for us?"

"You bet, Daddy!"

"Thanks, Captain, for all you and your crew did", James said, offering his hand to the Squad Captain.

Reaching for James' extended hand, the Squad Captain clasped and shook it. "That's what we're here for, Dr. Possible."

Turning to Kim, Captain Norton reached down to shake her hand as well.

"Kim, if everyone we rescued was as cooperative as you've been, we'd be out of a job. _You_ saved us today."

A huge smile spread across Kim's face. "Glad to help, sir."

The growl of a large diesel truck motor attracted everyone's attention.

"Well, it looks like the wrecker's here", observed the Squad Captain, glancing over his shoulder. "Hopefully they can get the fire truck out of that hole without tearing things up _too_ much."

"Don't worry about that, Captain", James said assuring. "Yards can always be redone. My daughter's safe. _That's_ the _important_ thing."

* * *

James and Kim stood to watch while Captain Norton and his crew went over to greet the wrecker operator. 

"Ah-hem!"

Turning around, James found himself face-to-face with Office Hobble.

"Sorry to interrupt, Dr. Possible. Glad to see your daughter is okay, but now that the crowd's been dispersed and things seem to have settled down a bit, you and I have a little unfinished business to take care of."

Swallowing hard, James bent down and whispered in his daughter's ear.

"Kimmie, why don't you head back in the house and order a pizza for us, okay? Remember, the pizzeria number is "5" on the Speed Dial. Go ahead and order a half Supreme and half pepperoni."

"Okay, Daddy!" said Kim as she whirled around and ran toward the back patio.

Turning back toward Office Hobble, James took a deep breath and exhaled.

"Officer, I know what I did earlier was wrong. There's really no excuse for it. You have every right to throw the book at me. Could you do me a small favor, though? Could you wait to bust me until tomorrow? I'd _really_ like to spend tonight with my family."

"W-e-l-l, Dr. Possible, you're right: I _should_ throw the book at you. Striking a police officer is _unacceptable_. H-o-w-e-v-e-r, under the _circumstances_, a-n-d given the fact that only you and I know what you did, I'm thinking I j-u-s-t _might_ be willing to let you off this one time."

"Besides", the Officer added with a grin. "If I haul you in, I'm going to have to explain to the Chief just how you managed to catch me off my guard, and he's _already_ riding me about being out of shape."

"You can be sure he won't hear about it from _me_, Officer", James said with a grin of his own.

* * *

As word spread around Middleton over the next several days about Kim's remarkable feat, James and Kathleen got loads of unsolicited advice that perhaps their daughter was a future Olympics gymnastics star in the making. James' typical reply: "Right now, the Olympics are the _furthest_ thing from my mind. I've got a _baby_ on the way, a _space probe_ to launch, _plus_ an old tree house to tear down and a new one to build." 

Understandably, given what had very nearly happened to his daughter, James labored long hours designing and building the new tree house. In the end, what he constructed not only exceeded all local residential building codes, the materials used in it included a new type of "wood" made from polymers developed at the Center that even upon close inspection looked like faded cedar but had a projected longevity measured in the four digits years-wise. The only trouble was, he miscalculated in some of his factoring for weight, and it ended up that once the tree house was completed and furnished, it could only handle around two hundred and seventy-five additional pounds of "people weight". Any more, and it would become dangerously unstable.

And so it was that the tree house in which Kim wept was built to last well into the next millennium. Unfortunately, that was of absolutely no consolation to her right now.

* * *

And so ends Part Two of my little "back-story-within-a-back-story" experiment. Chapter Four, as the last paragraph hints, will return to the original back story, so stay tuned. 


End file.
